The Netherlands Consulate General in San Francisco is looking for a Senior Economic Officer. This job is fulltime (40 hours per week) and will be offered starting 15 November at pay scale 8.

The Netherlands Consulate General in San Francisco supports Dutch companies in the US market, particularly focused on helping small-and-medium-sized Dutch enterprises grow their business in the US West Coast. The CG provides market information, identifies opportunities and connects interested parties in the public and private sector.

The Netherlands Government celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to foster an inclusive environment within its organization. Individuals interested in advancing these diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information, please contact Ms. Agnes Koppelman (Deputy Consul General), e-mail: agnes.koppelman@minbuza.nl, or Ms. Margot Korthals (Deputy Head of Economic Affairs Department), e-mail: margot.korthals@minbuza.nl

Application letters with resume, both in English, should be addressed to:

Consulate General of the Netherlands
Attn: Mrs. Agnes Koppelman
One Montgomery Street, Suite 3100
San Francisco, CA 94104
United States,

and be submitted via email to: SFN-HR@minbuza.nl.

Closing date for applications: 10 August 2025

Starting date: 15 November 2025

Indicative monthly gross salary: USD 9,363.- (pay scale 8, step 0)

*This vacancy is open to internal (local employees and partners of officials posted to a Mission in the US)  and external candidates. If a local employee and a partner of an official posted to a Mission are equally qualified, the local employee shall be given priority. Furthermore, if a local employee and an external candidate are equally qualified , the local employee shall be given priority.

** As per US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), employers in the US are required to ensure that all employees have the legal right to work in the US. Under US State Department requirements, the embassy and our consulates may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or “A” visa holders. There is a max term for A2 visa holders of 5 years, the Netherlands Embassy / Consulate General cannot sponsor any work permits for family members.

General job description

• The Senior Economic Officer is primarily responsible for developing and implementing the Consulate’s (economic) policy and for translating the policy into achievable plans, and ensuring effective implementation of those plans;
• The economic officer reports to the Deputy Consul-General as head of the Economic Department, but works with a high degree of autonomy;
• Adherence to applicable governmental guidelines (and working within budget constraints) are essential to success;
• The economic officer gathers and analyzes (economic) information and development, and sees to existing policy being translated into specific action by the Consulate General, in close collaboration with the Embassy and other Netherlands Consulates General in the US;
• The economic officer supports Dutch parties (e.g. government, industry, SME’s, knowledge institutes) and provides them with an appropriate level of advice;
• The economic officer plans and prepares, and provides organizational support for, meetings/incoming and outgoing missions/promotions.

Result areas and related duties

• Provide support to (innovative) Dutch enterprises on, or interested in, the US West Coast (mostly small and medium-sized enterprises and startups), particularly in Silicon Valley; 
• Contribute to the establishment of effective networks of relevant US companies, organizations, and local government institutions on the US West Coast, in order to facilitate B2B or B2G contacts, and to identify and advise on business opportunities for specific Dutch companies;
• Actively source and maintain a network of relevant partners, both on the US West Coast and in the Netherlands;
• Organize business seminars, receptions, events and working visits for relevant Dutch and US stakeholders;
• Initiate new ideas and proposals for the benefit of Dutch businesses and relevant sectors in the Dutch economy;
• Actively contribute to the success of the whole Consulate General, most importantly: contribute to seamless collaboration between the Economic Department (EA), the Innovation Attaché Network (IA) and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) – all as One Team.
• Contribute to effective registration of projects, the Consulate’s (financial) obligations and economic team’s interaction with the private sector (measuring results).

Description of result areas

• Policy plans are effectively translated into implementation plans, and implementation is monitored and evaluated;
• Meetings/incoming and outgoing missions/products/promotions are arranged in accordance with relevant time-, quality- and budget-based agreements;
• Enquiries are handled and coordinated effectively and in good time;
• Contribute to the conclusion of successful business projects in the context of Public Private Partnerships; 
• Devise and maintain relevant networks to the benefit of the Dutch private sector;
• Curate a network of relevant commercial service providers (and keep said network up-to-date in close collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO);
• Increase Dutch impact on the US market in relevant business sectors, such as the cyber security sector and sport related sectors.

Work environment

The Consulate General (CG) in San Francisco is a medium-sized diplomatic post with 5 seconded and 19 local employees and is active in the fields of economic and technological cooperation, innovation, the promotion of Dutch culture & art, public diplomacy and consular advocacy. The working language at the office is English and the office is situated in downtown San Francisco.

The Consulate General in San Francisco is part of the network of Dutch missions in the US, that consists of the Embassy in Washington D.C. and 5 CGs (Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco). CG San Francisco serves a jurisdiction that covers the thirteen western states (including Alaska and Hawaii), an area of ​​approximately 116 x the Netherlands. The center of gravity of the work is in the state of California.

Economic and technological cooperation and trade and investment, the promotion of Dutch culture and public diplomatic activities are shaped in the Economic Cluster of the CG, consisting of Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), Economic Department (EA), the Innovation Attaché Network (IA) and the Netherlands Business Support Offices (NBSO) based in Los Angeles and Phoenix. The 8 honorary consuls within the jurisdiction of the CG fulfill an important supporting role in the performance of tasks.

The economic officer will be part of the Consulate’s Economic Affairs department. The Officer will work closely together with other Economic Officers at our different locations in the US, the Honorary Consuls within our region and reports to the deputy Consul General in San Francisco.

Job requirements

Knowledge and areas of experience:

• College degree in Economics, Business Administration or other relevant field;
• 3-5 years of relevant working experience;
• Fluency in English, both spoken and written;
• Experience with project management and CRM systems;
• Strong writing and analytical capabilities;
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to conduct presentations for large and diverse audiences;
• Skilled in networking and dealing with external parties, both orally and in writing;
• Skilled in preparing/coordinating meetings, incoming and outgoing missions and visits;
• Strong interest in the Netherlands’ trade and economic agenda, ideally with working knowledge of several key focus sectors such as technology, life sciences & health, sports and climate & energy.
• Good knowledge of the US market (focus on the West Coast) is a pre.

This position requires an ability to work with substantial autonomy and also work collaboratively with co-workers across disciplines. You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with demanding stakeholders, high standards and at times, a heavy workload. The economic officer is expected to be able to work independently, and perform tasks with limited supervision. Excellent follow up is essential.

The position requires solid analytical and communication skills, demonstrated by the ability to solve (business) problems quickly and creatively. The ability to occasionally work on evenings and weekends is required; some travel is expected and encouraged.

Knowledge of the Dutch language is desirable, but not a must.

Specific competences

• Customer-oriented
• Planning & organization
• Result-oriented
• Networking skills
• Creativity
• Collaboration

Contacts

• With co-workers on business developments and effective assistance to the Dutch private sector in the priority areas, experiences with business support programs, and policy;
• With the management and co-workers on the progress of policy development and procedures, including administration and archiving issues;
• With the relevant US and Dutch business communities and (local) governments;
• With colleagues at the Embassy in Washington and at other Dutch Consulates General and NBSOs;
• With relevant Ministries in The Hague and government agencies in the Netherlands.